COMMENT: Education key for teens, not prohibition
IT IS believed the average age children become exposed to pornography is just 11 years.
RELATED: Is porn use harming our kids?
This is a truly frightening statistic for any parent or caregiver but is hardly surprising given the technologically-driven society in which we live .
At this age, children are ill-equipped to understand porn and its ever-changing role in society and there is so much more to fear than an early introduction to sex.
A few clicks on any computer can expose a user to myriad hardcore pornography sites - videos and images that cater for every sexual desire and fetish.
Some of this material has the potential to warp the future generations' views and values when it comes to sex and can set unrealistic and undesirable expectations for teenagers.
While there are things parents can do to restrict their children's access to porn, if there is a will, they will find it.
It is so much more important to educate our sons and daughters that although porn has a strong internet presence and a role in society, it is not reality and there is so much more to sex than exists in a seedy online movie.
Teaching kids to respect both themselves and their partner is key.
